Wheeled luggage cases are in widespread use today and greatly ease the traveler's movement in airports, railroad stations, etc. Many wheeled luggage items have retractable handles, which permit the traveler to pull or push the luggage item as he walks and have one hand free, and a number of wheels on which the luggage can roll. The wheels for wheeled luggage can typically pivot about an axis substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the luggage and facilitate movement of the luggage by rolling in the direction of the traveler's movement.
Wheels for wheeled luggage should provide the desired mobility while being rugged enough to withstand the wear and tear of normal use. A wheel assembly for luggage that attempts to address these issues is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,079 to Wang. Wang describes a wheeled luggage assembly in which an L-shaped member is attached to the bottom of a body portion and an axle is disposed on the L-shaped member. Separate wheel protectors are fitted in recesses of the body portion and wheels are pivotally connected with the end of the axle. In another example attempting to address these issues, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,744 to Lin describes a wheel assembly, which comprises a first subassembly and a second subassembly respectively mounted on an exterior side and an interior side of a frame of a luggage such that a space is formed between the first subassembly and the second subassembly for a wheel mount installed therein. The first subassembly and the second subassembly respectively include a central wheel well. A shaft has an end thereof screwed to the wheel mount and the other end thereof extending into the wheel well. A wheel is received in the central wheel well of the first subassembly and pivoted to the shaft for rotating, its distal end thereof pivoted to the wheel mount such that the wheel can turn freely.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for a wheel assembly for luggage that is mobile, rugged, and can be manufactured easily.